A Midnight Snack
by MsLazykat
Summary: Marinette leaves a snack out for her petit minou in case he stops by. Marichat fluff.
1. Un Nouveau Sentiment

**A/N: Hello! Thank you for stopping to read my story. Please leave a review, whether you liked the story or not it'd mean a lot to me. Enjoy!**

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Marinette whirled around the kitchen of her parents' bakery, wiping flour off of the countertops. She hastily searched for and gathered the used cooking utensils that were scattered about, scooping them into her arms before dumping them into the sink. She rolled up her sleeves, wiped sweat from her brow, and cracked her knuckles. Time to get to work.

Technically, she had been working all day. After coming home from school and sitting at her desk, completing homework, she spent the rest of her time helping her parents. Bastille was coming up and the shop had been busier than usual.

Marinette scrubbed the dried batter off the spoons and bowls with fervor, trying to finish cleaning as soon as possible. She dunked her hands in the warm, soapy water, sinking her arms up to the elbows. She scoured the base of the sink for stray forks and knives. Finding a fistful of utensils, she continued cleaning.

Tonight, Marinette was in a hurry to wrap up her chores. She had somehow gained a regular visitor, and he usually came around nine. She wanted to make sure that her parents had no reason to take her away from her guest. Marinette was a gracious host; leaving unexpectedly would be bad manners.

After washing the last dish, Marinette removed the plug at the base of the sink, letting the water drain out. She shook her hands free of water and wrung them dry on her messy apron. She disappeared into the kitchen's storage closet, reappearing with a broom in hand. She began to sweep.

She checked the time as she swept. It was 8:50. He could be here any minute! Marinette faced her work. It was better for her to focus on getting her work done rather than to focus on being late.

Sabine entered the kitchen unceremoniously, letting out a long, exasperated sigh. She lifted her tired eyes to see Marinette, working hard as always. She softened, rubbing her hands that were sore after a day of baking. "Marinette. _Chèrie_."

Marinette raised her head in surprise, she hadn't noticed her mother come in. "Yes, Mom?"

"Your father and I appreciate your efforts today very much."

"It's nothing, Mom. Really, it's okay," said Marinette, waving her hand as if to brush the compliment away. "I help all the time."

"I know, Marinette. But today must have been the busiest day you've worked. I don't think you've helped out around Bastille before." Sabine rested her body against the countertop nearest the kitchen door. "Either way, you've worked plenty today. You can go to bed. Your father and I can handle the rest of the cleaning."

Marinette stopped sweeping. She looked at her mother in surprise, then at the clock. 8:55. Her mother's timing was perfect. She set down the broom and hugged Sabine. "Thank you, Mom." She buried her face into her mother's shoulder. It wasn't until after she stopped cleaning did Marinette realize how tired she was. She remembered her visitor. "Mom, can I have a few leftover pastries before bed?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Anything you'd like."

Marinette released herself from her mother's embrace, "Thanks again. Goodnight."

Sabine kissed Marinette on the cheek, whispering a goodnight in return.

Marinette collected a few pastries in a box and said goodnight to her father before heading up to her room.

She placed the box on her desk and changed into her pajamas before collapsing on her lounge chair. She turned her head against her plush cushion, looking at the digital clock at the edge of her desk. Its face was lit up in pink numbers, displaying the time; 9:10. Her guest was late. She turned her head back to its original position and stared at her ceiling. What's keeping him? Is he not coming? She blinked slowly. Her eyelids felt heavy. He had better come soon.

* * *

"Wake up, wake up, Marinette," lulled a gentle voice.

Marinette roused from her sleep, shifting her head from side to side, the back of her head ground into the softness of her chair. She opened her eyes to see… her guest hovering over her face.

"...what time is it?" Marinette asked in groggy voice.

"12:30."

She gently placed her hand over the face of her guest, spreading her fingers. She then pushed his head back sharply, shifting his balance and making his top half fall back. "You're late."

"Ow… I didn't know we had agreed upon a meeting time," he said, rubbing his masked face.

Marinette sat up. "We didn't. I just expect you to come at a certain time." She tucked her legs into her body and wrapped her arms around them. "I should have known better than to wait. Stray cats aren't very reliable." She punctuated her remark with a sly smile.

Chat Noir clapped a gloved hand over his chest dramatically. "Stray? Princess, I'm hurt." He gave her a pout, to which she giggled before pushing his head away again.

Marinette stood up and walked over to her desk, "If you're not a stray, then what are you?" She picked up the box of pastries and shook it. "You only come for snacks." She returned to her seat on the chair, placing the box on her lap.

" _Au contraire,_ there's much more here than that." he said, shifting closer to Marinette.

"Like what?" Marinette goaded, looking down at the white box in her lap and running a finger over its opening. She loved to play coy with Chat. She knew he'd shower her with affection, regardless of whether or not she meant to be self-deprecative.

He placed his right hand on the right side of her face and nudged it to the left, towards him. He pressed his lips against the softness of her velveteen skin.

Marinette giggled, her face was squished between Chat Noir's lips and his hand. She curled her fingers around his wrist.

He released her face. "You."

Marinette turned her head to face him, blushing. Their noses were almost touching. "Would you care to share these treats with me?"

"Of course."

Marinette opened the box to reveal macarons, eclairs, and croissants. She and Chat Noir took a macaron. Marinette asked him for a reason for his lateness, sparking a long conversation similar to the ones they share any other night he visits.

Chat Noir first arrived at her window sill after a solo night patrol. He was passing by one night and became curious as to why her lights were still on. She had snacks. They had been friends ever since. Marinette enjoyed getting to know Chat outside of his hero persona. Though it wasn't his civilian form, Marinette figured that their relationship was as close as she would like to be. They occasionally shared playful kisses—pecks on the lips or cheek—but they remained platonic, both desiring to stay true to their respective crushes.

The two of them were down to their last eclair and were fresh out of conversation. Marinette was lying on her lounge chair and Chat Noir was stretched out on the floor next to her.

Marinette glanced at the box beside her, then shifted her gaze to Chat Noir, "There's only one eclair left."

Chat Noir turned his face towards her, "Is that so?"

"Yes," she whispered dreamily. "Do you want to share it?"

In the darkness of her room, Marinette saw him nod his head. The open window above where she lay swept in the warm July breeze. Light from cars passing by graced her room, illuminating Chat's face for moments at a time, making him shine brilliantly against the dark blue hue of her room. He stared at her intensely; she stared back.

Marinette felt her stomach flutter. She gasped and raised her head to check the time. 1:40. The action was obsolete, but she needed some reason to break their gaze. She reached for the eclair and split it in half. She gave him his half.

After enjoying the last of their snack, Marinette dangled her hand over the edge of her bed. She felt her eyelids becoming heavy again. "Chat…," she sighed.

Her left hand was hanging directly in front of Chat Noir's face. She had some of the eclair's cream lining her fingers. It occurred to Chat that Marinette was a messy eater. He grabbed her wrist and licked the length of her index finger.

"Chat…!" she exclaimed through gritted teeth, muffling her shout. The action caught her off guard, but what shocked her even more is the fact that he kept _doing_ it. She withdrew her hand before he put her entire finger in his mouth. She brought her hand up to her face. Her fingers had been licked clean. "What are you doing?" She leaned over the edge of her chair to look at him.

He was lying on the wood floor with his hand on his stomach, looking back at her slyly, "You, princess, are a messy eater."

Marinette wiped her hand against her night shirt, "I see you are too."

He chuckled, hoisting himself up against the cushion of her chair. He was level with her face; their noses were almost touching. "Are you upset with me?"

She stared at him with wide eyes and felt her face get warm. Her stomach lurched and fluttered, "No."

"Good." He cupped her face and gave her a peck on her lips.

When he started to retreat, she held him place and pressed her lips firmly against his, kissing him back. As she kissed him, it occurred to her that all the platonic kisses they'd shared had been initiated by him. She released him but kept his face close. "I think it's time for you to go," she whispered, her breath ghosting over his mouth. She removed her hands and stood up. She held her hand out for him to take.

He took her hand and stood up quietly. A car passed by and lit his face up. Only then did Marinette realize that he was blushing. Her kiss had caught him off guard. She secretly hoped that his stomach was doing flips like hers was.

"I guess this is goodbye," Chat Noir said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Marinette closed the space between their bodies, "Until next time, _minou_." She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace, which he returned.

He saluted her with two fingers before slipping out of her room by way of her ceiling door.

She watched him leave and waited until he was completely gone before climbing into her bed.


	2. Macarons Pour un Minou

Marinette climbed the steps leading up to the patio above her bedroom. Her legs ached from standing at the register all afternoon into the late evening, but she made her way up anyhow.

The cool night air swept across her face and rustled through her loose hair. She kept herself swaddled in a thin blanket that draped down to her feet and partially dragged behind her. Wrapping the blanket closer to herself, she yawned.

Working during the week of Bastille meant no time for her flowers. She usually has time to talk to each plant immediately after she comes home, but lately, she has been missing the solace of confiding in the tulips, the geraniums, and the roses. They listen without judgement. She clutched the spray bottle in her hand.

She especially had been missing her moonflower, which she named _Clair de Lune_ after its luminous petals.

Marinette approached her flower box full of roses. "Hello," she said, sighing after a lengthy yawn. "How've you all been doing? I'm sorry I didn't come earlier today. I—" Her apology was cut short by another yawn. "I'm sorry. I've been feeling very tired lately." Closing her eyes, she sprayed absently, heavily dousing each flower.

She tended to each plant, walking around her balcony in a clockwise manner. With each idle minded conversation she had with each potted plant, Marinette woke up a little. By the time she reached Clair de Lune, she was almost fully awake. Marinette didn't spray the moonflower at first. She just stood there, watching the flower expose its petals to the night air.

"Clair. I swear, you get more beautiful with each passing night." She held up her spray bottle to the plant. Her finger pressed lightly on its handle, but not enough to effuse the water within. "Clair, I'm… conflicted." She spritzed the plant twice, contemplating her feelings. "It's just that… I like Adrien—and I mean really like him—but I feel as though I'm starting to like Chat Noir… too?"

Marinette paused, looking at her plant as if she expected a response. "I mean, I know it sounds crazy! Adrien is just a classmate; we aren't anything special," she said quickly, spraying the moonflower five times in rapid succession. "Maybe… I do have a chance. But my chances with Chat Noir are higher than my chances with Adrien, especially since I'm Ladybug. Normally, the idea of being with Chat Noir would bother me. But now, I don't think I would mind…?" Marinette rested her right arm against the wrought-iron railing of her roof and propped her head on it. She sprayed Clair de Lune absently. "Clair, I just don't know."

A masked face arose from behind the potted plant. "What don't you know?"

Marinette shrieked and jumped back. "CHAT!" She held up her bottle with both hands, spraying rapidly. Her heart raced with surprise and she was struck with infatuation. In the back of her mind, she wondered how much he'd heard. "Spying is illegal!"

Chat Noir held up his hands in a futile attempt to block the onslaught of water. "I thought you'd be more upset by the fact that I came late again!" he managed to say in between laughs.

She stopped spraying and lowered her arms slightly. "...what time is it?"

"10 o'clock."

"Late again!" Marinette shouted, continuing her ambush on Chat Noir. She ran out of water, ending her attack early.

Chat Noir leapt over the railing and on to her balcony. He grabbed Marinette by the waist and lifted her up so that her feet no longer touched the ground. "I've captured my assailant!"

Marinette kicked her feet, struggling to break his grip. She pounded her fists against his arms before remembering her trump card. "If you don't let your _assailant_ go, she won't give you any macarons!"

Chat Noir immediately dropped her and held his hands up in surrender. "As you wish." He silently watched Marinette pick up her blanket, which had fallen on the floor, and wrap it around her body again. He stayed quiet for a few moments as she dusted herself off and pick up the empty bottle. "The macarons?"

"Oh yeah. Follow me," Marinette said, motioning for Chat Noir to follow her. She opened her trap door and descended into her bedroom. Chat Noir came in behind her and shut the door after he entered the room. He sat down on her lounge chair.

Marinette went to her desk where a platter of multicolored macarons lay. She retrieved the plate and held it out to Chat.

"Wow, very patriotic!" he said in delight. On the plate were macarons matching the color scheme of the French flag. The red macarons had strawberry filling, the white had vanilla filling, and the blue, blueberry. Chat took a white one to eat.

"Now that I've pacified you with food, I need to know how much you heard," Marinette said with a huff as she dropped herself on the space next to him.

"Heard what?" His speech was garbled due to the food in his mouth.

Marinette hit his arm playfully, "Don't play around! You know what I mean!"

Chat Noir gulped the treat down, wiped crumbs from his face, and placed his right hand over his heart. "I swear to that I didn't hear anything before the words, 'I just don't know.'"

She stared at him for a few seconds, wondering if he was actually telling the truth. She then remembered that he was her partner in crime. It wouldn't be fair of her to throw out all other instances of his loyalty to her. "Okay. I believe you." She grabbed a strawberry macaron from the plate and stretched herself out on the lounge chair.

They held a small conversation as they devoured the treats. Chat Noir was the one continuing their conversation for the most part. Marinette was only half-present in their discussion. The other half of her mind was in her feelings. She was too busy trying to figure out why Chat Noir made her feel the way she did.

"Hey, is there something wrong?"

Marinette's thoughts were disrupted by his unexpected question. She was lying on her back against the cushion of her chair with Chat's face hovering above her own. Marinette blinked. She looked into his eyes for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "... I'm fine, why?"

"Well, you weren't really responding so I thought you were upset or sleepy."

"Sorry, I was…thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

Marinette stared at him, unsure of what to say. She shook her head and murmured, "Nothing." She took the last macaron from the platter and stuffed it in her mouth, barring her from responding to any more of Chat's questions. Her haste in eating caused some of the filling to spill onto her hand. Chat Noir was right; she was a messy eater.

"I'm still gonna need an answer from you," he said, looking at her expectantly.

Marinette felt her face grow warm. She swallowed the food in her mouth in a hard gulp. "I was thinking about…how I feel about you and our…friendship."

"And how do you feel about it?" he inquired. His voice was laden with concern.

He returned her gaze with an intensity that sent a tingle to her lower belly. She couldn't give him a serious answer with him staring at her like that. She covered her face with her arm. "I like you, Chat."

Chat Noir gave Marinette a smile that she couldn't see. "I like you, too. Isn't that why we're friends?"

Marinette let out an exasperated sigh. He was being dense on purpose. She would have rolled her eyes at him if she weren't too embarrassed to lift her arm. "No, I mean I _like_ you. As in romantically."

Chat Noir didn't say anything in response. Several quiet seconds passed between them. The silence made her feel like she had definitely ruined something between them. She wondered if he felt the same way.

Marinette felt a hand grip her arm. Chat tried to lift her arm from her face, but she held it firmly in place.

He instead picked up her hand and examined the strawberry filling on it. He smirked. Chat Noir knew exactly how to get her to lift her arm.

He licked up the length of her index finger and smiled when the action made Marinette squirm. She still didn't move her arm. Chat put her first two fingers in his mouth and sucked the filling off of them. Marinette lifted her arm from her face and watched him.

Chat Noir noticed she was watching and decided to give her a show. Looking her in the eye, he pulled her fingers out from his mouth slowly, each digit coming out with a wet noise. Marinette gasped.

"Now that I have your attention, I have something to say," Chat Noir announced.

Marinette took her hand out from his grip and wiped it on her pajama shirt without breaking their mutual gaze. Her face was flushed; her breathing, heavy. "What is it?"

Chat brought his face down to hers. Their noses were almost touching. He lowered his voice, "I like you, too."

"Don't you like Ladybug?" she whispered.

"Don't you like someone else, too?" he countered. He rubbed his nose against hers.

"That's the thing! I can't have my emotions split in two places!"

"Well, do you know if he likes you back?"

"No."

"So what's the problem?"

She thought for a second. "I guess there is none?"

"I guess there isn't."

Chat Noir lowered his head to kiss her, but she lightly pressed the tips of her fingers against his mouth, stopping him. "What about your Lady?"

He blinked. "My lady?"

Crap. Marinette wasn't supposed to know that nickname. "Ladybug! I meant Ladybug. What about your feelings for her?"

Chat pondered her question before answering. "I still care for her and love her. But I like you in a different way. I'll still be there for her because there has always been more to my relationship with Ladybug than a potential romance."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Chat Noir was so _sweet_! Why hadn't she noticed it before?

She placed her hands on either side of his face and brought his lips down to hers. She kissed him meekly. Marinette had never kissed anyone passionately and having no experience outside of playful pecks from Chat, she was rather callow. A small kiss was enough for her.

However, it wasn't enough for Chat Noir. He slipped his hand in between the small of her back and the chair's cushion, pulling her off of it slightly and closer to him. Marinette gasped in surprise. He moved his mouth against hers. His tongue brushed against her own. Marinette slid her fingers from the sides of his face to the softness of his blonde hair.

Chat nipped her bottom lip and moved to kiss her jaw. Marinette tilted her head back and exposed to her neck to him. She was feeling very compliant.

Just as Chat Noir dipped his head to kiss her neck, there was a muted thud of something being hit coming from the floor below. The noise was accompanied by a muffled curse.

"Uh, I think that's my dad. He must have woken up," Marinette whispered, silently damning her father's timing.

"I guess that's my cue." Chat Noir laid Marinette back down onto her chair. "I'll see you later." He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Marinette whisper-shouted. "Make sure to stop by tomorrow. I have something important to tell you."

"Just leave out some macarons, and I'll find my way here." He blew her a kiss. " _À demain._ " He slipped out of the ceiling door soundlessly.

" _À demain_." She echoed quietly, touching her fingers to her lips.

Marnette tried to fall asleep, but the thought of revealing her identity kept her up all night.

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 **A/N: I honestly thought that I wouldn't continue this and yet...here we are. The favorites really encouraged me to expand this! Thank you guys so much for reading!**


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